This invention is related in general to the field of control systems, and more particularly, to a control system communications server.
This patent application is related to co-pending Provisional U.S. application entitled System and Method of an Internet Control Network, serial no. 60/131,605, filed Apr. 29, 1999 (Attorney Docket No. 066287.0103).
A control system typically includes a variety of controlled devices and a master controller linked by a network. In a fully automated environment, appliances that change the various parameters of the environment can be linked to a control area network (CAN) and a computer-based controller. The appliances may include heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting systems, audio-visual systems, telecommunications systems, security systems, surveillance systems, and fire protection systems, for example. One or more easy-to-use user interface, such as a touch panel, may be electronically linked to the control area network to accept user input and display current system status. AMX Corporation of Dallas, Tex. designs and manufactures such networked appliance control systems.
It has been recognized that it is desirable to provide a communication server that establishes a pathway to one or more control systems to enable bi-directional transfer of data and files.
In one aspect of the invention, a communication system includes a communication server having a file storage cache, a control system coupled to the communication server via a communication path, and at least one client application in communications with the communication server. The communication server is operable to transmit files between the at least one client application and the control system.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of communicating with a control system includes the steps of sending a download request from a client application to a communication server, the request identifying a file to be downloaded, a download date and time, a communication path, and a destination control system. Next, the file is downloaded by the communication server to the control system at the requested date and time via the specified communication path to the destination control system, and the client application is notified by the communication server that the file download is completed.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of communicating with a control system includes the steps of sending an upload request from a client application to a communication server, the request identifying a file to be uploaded, a communication path, and a origination control system. Next, the file is uploaded from the control system via the specified communication path to the communication server, and the client application is notified by the communication server that the file upload is completed. Thereafter, the file is transferred from the communication server to the client application when initiated by the file application.
One technical advantage of the invention is that the client applications are freed from the details of communicating with the control systems, and that the client applications are not tied up during a lengthy data transfer. Further, communication with the control system is synchronized even when the requests are asynchronous. Multiple clients may now communicate with a single control system simultaneously and schedule the data transfer. Data transfers can occur unattended and scheduled to take place at any time.